What breed should I get ?

I am 13 and looking for a dog for my moms house. The dog needs to be hypoallergenic because my mom is allergic. The dog needs to be able to be alone for long hours. The dog cant be to big or to small. I am hoping for a dog that is friendly and can be trained easily. Also not too many grooming needs.

Careful about choosing a hypoallergenic breed. Basically speaking, all dogs can trigger an allergic reaction. Allergies are caused by the dog dog's saliva. When they lick their fur, the saliva is transferred, and then when the dog sheds, that hair is spread through the air with the allergen.

So... a dog that sheds less is more likely to cause less of an allergic reaction for a person who is allergic. Another thing to consider is letting your mom interact with the breed first, and see how that affects her allergies.

Please don't buy a dog for your mom and just to later find that her allergies are too much to bear, and then you have to get rid of the dog. Responsible ownership begins with understanding weather or not you are ready/able to own a dog.

I would recommend you check out a book that was very helpful for us: "The Right Dog for You" by Dr. Daniel Tortora. You may be able to find it in your local library. Not only does it list all the major breeds, their characteristics, and common issues, there's also a large section in the back with a series of "quizzes" for you to take about your living situation, lifestyle, etc. These cover many of the same issues you've already identified (allergies, OK left alone, size) and some others you may not have considered (health problems, emotional stability, amount of grooming needed). Each quiz gives a score that leads to a list of likely compatible breeds. Compare the lists, find the breed(s) that show up most often, and you should be able to come up with a short list of your own best choices.

I would recommend a dog that doesn't drool to much and doesn't shred alot and has short fur. Because the dogs saliva is what causes allergies, it transfers onto their fur when they lick themselves to groom, plus if your mom won't be in the house all the time and she probably doesn't have to much free time to brush a long dogs coat and brushing will trigger her allergies. Short fur is easier to maintain and drooling dogs will make a mess anyway and the salivate to much and the saliva could get on couches, furniture, clothes etc or on skin which would make circumstances worse. All dogs have it but some are more preventable and don't cause allergies as much.

Make sure you choose a dog whose personality, breed and capability suits your mom and especially when it comes to pet-care.

Remember it's not always the about breed, its also personality and past-history, bloodline and external attributes. Because some dogs prefer a quiet, simple, less-crowded life others may always want attention or don't like being left alone.

Maybe the dogs past, say if it were rescue dog from a shelter may have been mistreated and gained fears. Bloodline, if the dogs bloodline and parents were healthy or not. External attributes, maybe the dog's coat in long and needs constant grooming your mom might not have the time to do it all the time, maybe you could do it but with school and all it might be a tricky task. And with long fur comes lots of grooming time, like I already said, this will increase the chance of triggering your mothers allergies this may occur with some of the hypoallergenic and may not.

I personally suggest, if you were to have a dog that does not need much attention with general pet-care including training, grooming and supervising, however all dog personalities are different but I'll give you basic the personailty expected from each following breeds. I know more hypoallergenic dogs, but these are for your mom's ideal needs you've asked about.

- Italian Greyhound

- Samoyed : these dogs have fluffy longish fur but they do great with people with allergies and kids and are sort of 'laid back' dogs. The longer fur won't affect your mother and it'll make grooming time a great time to bond with a lazy, gentle and affectionate pup.

- Chinese Crested

- Labradoodle

- Bichon Frise

- Wiredhaired Foxterrier: even though it needs walks or jogs, it'll help your mom get outside and you can also have fun taking them to a park.

Sorry for SO much info, my fingers are to tired to type now I hope this helped you.